How to Overcome Doubt

Daily Devotions

April 20, 2015

“If you have faith and do not doubt.” Mt 21:21 NIV

Doubt is a doorway through which Satan enters your life. It causes the “fight of faith” to become the “flight of faith.” When fear, confusion, discouragement, and despair take up residence within you, they rob you of confidence, joy, and peace. But isn’t being doubtful just human? Sure, and it’s also Satan’s ploy! “Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given” (1Jn 5:10 NIV). Your doubts reveal a lack of confidence in what God says. So how can you stop doubting? The same way you deal with other sin—by acknowledging you have a problem and doing something about it. Reason or even resistance cannot conquer doubt; it will only submit to complete relinquishment. Trying to overcome your doubts one by one is like an alcoholic trying to reduce his or her alcohol intake one drink at a time. It doesn’t work. The solution is two-fold. (1) It begins with a once-for-all decision. It calls for a total relinquishing of your right to doubt anything God promised. It’s saying. “From now on, I will not doubt God!” It’s believing that when you surrender a thing to Him, He takes it and deals with it. (2) By faith declare, “Lord, I absolutely trust Your every Word!” Will doubt come knocking again to your door? Yes, but instead of letting it in, “[take] the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Eph 6:16). Don’t fret, wrestle, or reason with your doubts. Instead, repeat your Scriptural declaration of faith, disregard your feelings, and trust God to do what He says.